The Confidence MAP Every RVer Needs

The hardest part of RV life isn’t towing, breakdowns, or emptying the tanks.

It’s the comments.

Sometimes spoken.

Sometimes typed.

Sometimes tossed out casually at Thanksgiving.

But they all hit the same place—your confidence.

And confidence is the engine of RV life. Before the rig moves, your mind has to.

Even after ten years on the road, I still have days where I ask:

Is RVing best for my family?

Am I being smart with my money or wasting it?

Can I tow this thing without messing up?

And this week’s new one— “Am I lazy?”

I wish I could say these never affect me.

They still do.

And if you’re dreaming about RVing more or preparing for a bigger journey, someone’s comment will eventually hit you too—whether it’s a stranger on the internet or someone sitting across the dinner table.

Most people do one of three things (I did all of them):

1. Snap back.

2. Ignore it.

3. Block it.

Short-term relief.

Long-term damage.

Because those comments don’t vanish.

They just move into your head and start living rent-free, draining your confidence and shaping your decisions.

That’s how good journeys get stuck before they ever begin.

So here’s what I use now instead:

I MAP it.

M - MESSENGER (Who Said It?)

This week’s critic had one subscriber.

Outer-circle.

Doesn’t know me.

Hasn’t shared their life publicly.

That matters.

The messenger gives the message its weight.

My inner circle—the people who’ve walked with me, know me, love me—I listen to every word.

The middle circle—I consider.

The outer circle—95% gets tossed out.

Same goes for your RV journey.

If the person criticizing your travel dreams wouldn’t last one night boondocking in Quartzsite, they don’t get a vote.

A - ARENA (Where is this coming from?)

Over the years we've blocked hundreds of words and phrases on YouTube from people who would NEVER say these same things to us in person.

To her credit, it looks like this comment was scaled back from an edit.

But most people don't edit their comments.

They only want to edit your life.

I like to call them "keyboard warriors".

Dark rooms.

Lonely evenings.

Safe, quiet lives with no risk.

They look at one posted image, one video, one blog and they get to work "saving the world" one knee-jerk comment at a time.

That mindset changes the weight of their words.

Someone who has never taken a leap will always criticize someone who does.

You’re not irresponsible.

You’re not lazy.

You’re not dreaming too big.

You’re just living a life they can’t imagine.

A life unedited.

And the Arena the judgement is coming from strengthens or weakens the impact of the comments given.

P - PAST (What shaped this person?)

The comment ended with:

“Sorry, not trying to be mean. ❤️”

Which has a Southern version of:

“I am absolutely being mean, bless your heart.”

Hurt people hurt people.

Maybe she grew up being criticized.

Maybe she’s grieving.

Maybe she feels stuck.

I don’t know her story.

But I do know this: Someone who is whole, healthy, and joyful does not hop online at midnight to call strangers lazy.

And empathizing—not excusing—lets me release the comment instead of carrying it.

Here’s the quiet truth:

If you want to make an impact—

on your family,

your kids,

your memories,

your journey…

You’re going to deal with impact from others.

Everyone who’s ever done anything meaningful has taken hits from people who’ve done less.

RV life isn’t any different.

But when you MAP it—

Messenger.

Arena.

Past.

—you stop letting the wrong people steer your journey.

You protect your confidence.

You keep your direction.

You hold onto the meaning behind why you’re doing all this in the first place.

So the next time someone questions your motives, your finances, your dreams, or your sanity for choosing the RV life…

MAP it.

And keep your head high and your rig pointed toward adventure.

Until next time, see you down the road!

-Nathan